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Hal Jepsen, R.I.P.

HAL JEPSEN1940-2006

Filmmaker Hal Jepsen passed away on February 2, 2006 at the age of 66.

Hal was born in 1940 in Los Angeles, California and began surfing at 17. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA in 1968, and became a real estate agent before producing his first surf film "Cosmic Children" in 1970. Jepsen's best known work showcased Hawaiian surfers Jeff Hakman and Barry Kanaiaupuni in their prime. Jepsen followed with three more full-length surf movies, "A Sea for Yourself" in 1973 along with "Super Session" in 1975 and "We Got Surf" in 1981. In 1978 he branched out into skateboarding with the film "Skateboard Madness," staring Stacy Peralta. In 1997, his filmmaking accomplishments were profiled in The Surfers Journal's 50 Years of Surfing on Film series for the Outdoor Life Network.

Hal's extensive work in the early 70's surfing and skateboarding subcultures is revered today in documentaries and feature films, such as "The Lords Of Dogtown." Hal is survived by his younger brother Robert.

His funeral is at 5:00 pm, Saturday, February 18th at Saint Anne's Church, 701 West St., Oceanside.

Paddle out the following Sunday, February 26th at 11:00 am at Buccaneer Beach, 1500 S. Pacific St., Oceanside.

Funeral February 18th at 5:00 pmDirections to St. Anne's:Exit Interstate 5 at Oceanside Blvd. Head west to Ditmar Street (light at top of the hill). Right on Ditmar for approx .3 mile to West Street. Left on West to St. Anne's Church.

Paddle out February 26th at 11:00 amDirections to Buccaneer Beach:Exit I-5 at Oceanside Blvd. Head west approx .8 mile to end at Pacific Street. Left on S. Pacific Street. Go south approx .3 mile to Buccaneer Park at 1500 S. Pacific Street. Free parking in lot on east side of Pacific.

(Thanks to Tara Lee Torburn and Ira Opper for passing this message along.)

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From SURFER:

Surf Filmmaker Hal Jepsen Passes OnbySURFER Staff

Filmmaker Hal Jepsen passed away on February 2, 2006 at the age of 66.

Hal was born in 1940 in Los Angeles, California and began surfing at 17. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA in 1968, and became a real estate agent before producing his first surf film "Cosmic Children" in 1970. Jepsen's best known work showcased Hawaiian surfers Jeff Hakman and Barry Kanaiaupuni in their prime. Jepsen followed with three more full-length surf movies, "A Sea for Yourself" in 1973 along with "Super Session" in 1975 and "We Got Surf" in 1981. In 1978 he branched out into skateboarding with the film "Skateboard Madness," staring Stacy Peralta. In 1997, his filmmaking accomplishments were profiled in The Surfers Journal's 50 Years of Surfing on Film series for the Outdoor Life Network.

Jepson was the first surf filmmaker to really integrate and edit contemporary music to footage, setting the soundtrack template for virtually all surf films to follow. Hendrix, Cream, the Chambers Brothers, The Stones--if it was on Jepson's 8-track, it was in the movie.

Transitioning from the MacGillivray-Freeman, Dale Davis, John Severson era, his 1970 film The Cosmic Children was the first New Wave shortboard surf movie, establishing itself as the "Momentum" of its era.

Jepson was the first (and just about the only) surf filmaker to shoot the Ranch, editing the sequence of J Riddle, George Trafton and Davey Hilton that launched a 1000 Boston Whalers. Epic Malibu and Topanga Point footage also set his films apart from

His 1973 film Super Session, with its up-to-date segments featuring Larry "Rubberman" Bertlemann, some of the very first urethane wheel skateboard action, and a remarkable Australian sequence featuring a young Rabbit Bartholomew and the incredible Michael Peterson, reinvigorated interest in high-performance small wave surfing, signaling a switch away from the "all Pipeline, all the time" format of many of the period's films.